A Father's Fears: The Womb, #3

By Richard B Knight

The second prequel to The Darkness of the Womb (The first being "Clean Hands"), this short story follows Jeffrey Haunt, the father of the future messiah, Aiden, through a series of terrible dreams. Each one is a representation of the anxieties that come attached to being a future father. Will Jeff Haunt be able to come to an understanding and acceptance of fatherhood in his dreams, or will doubt both linger and plague him? Find out in this metaphysical quest through the mind of a future father.

Interview with the author

Q: So this is the second short story connected to The Darkness of the Womb. How is it different from "Clean Hands"?

A: "Clean Hands" was much earlier in the timeline of the Archetypes. The Archetypes actually don't even appear in this story (Though, I have a nixed chapter on my blog (http://knighttakesrook.blogspot.com/2015/09/deleted-preface-to-new-short-story.html) if you want to read it. This story contains the main protagonists of The Darkness of the Womb. It's a story about anxiety and it's more metaphysical than "Clean Hands". There's a lot of dream theory.

Q: Do you need to read The Darkness of the Womb to understand this story?

A: No. Like "Clean Hands", it's a standalone story. But it does help if you read both "Clean Hands" and The Darkness of the Womb to have a better understanding of these characters.

Q: Last question. Will there be any more short stories in the realm of The Darkness of the Womb?

A: Not that I can think of, but I'll never say never. I'll probably do a short story for my third novel, The Interdimensional Subwoofer before I do another one for The Darkness of the Womb.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Richard B Knight
• Release date: Nov 8, 2015
• ISBN: 9781519986177

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Jeff Haunt pounded his chest to get the burp out. He probably shouldn’t be eating so late.

His pregnant wife, Marigold, began to get up from the table to collect the dishes, but Haunt stopped her.

Sit. I’ll wash. He picked up the plates and placed them in the sink. While he waited for the water to warm up, he turned and watched his wife. She frowned as she rubbed her stomach.

Has he moved yet? Haunt asked.

Marigold looked up and shook her head. I haven’t felt him all day.

Haunt noticed the steam rising behind him and let the hot water splash the plates. He walked over to his wife and placed his hand on her stomach.

He also felt nothing.

Just a week ago, their child had been kicking all over the place at the merest touch. Haunt could even sometimes see the foot’s indentation in her stomach. When this happened, Marigold would rub her belly and smile.

I know, baby, I know. It’s getting cramped in there.

At the age